Lullaby of the Heart
by SherlockBones
Summary: Raye deals with new feelings that arise and major, life-changing events that may end up making her leave the Sailor Scouts.


Title: Lullaby of the Heart  
  
Summary: All right, this is my second attempt at a Sailor Moon fic- the first was  
  
ceremoniously burned. This took me a very long time to write, but I hope to get  
  
the other chapters done more quickly. Basically, life at the Cherry Hill Temple.  
  
Other characters will appear in later chapters.  
  
  
  
1 Lullaby of the Heart  
  
Raye walked into her room, slamming the door behind her with a loud thud. She changed into a deep red long sleeve shirt and matching flannel pants., twisted her long, raven black hair into a loose braid, and tied her favorite ribbon to the end of it. She turned to face her full-length mirror and was disgusted by what she saw. She looked awful. Her once sparkly violet eyes were dull and rimmed with red. Her whole body was tired and achy. Chad was right, she really did need to start taking better care of herself. Raye now felt really bad about how she had treated Chad earlier.  
  
*Flashback*  
  
Raye was just about to fall asleep when she felt a hand on her shoulder gently shaking her back into reality. She groaned inwardly and opened her eyes to see Chad kneeling next to her chair.  
  
"Raye, get your coat. I'm taking you home." He said softly.  
  
"I want to stay with Grandpa." Raye pleaded.  
  
"No, you've barely slept since Grandpa got sick. You've done all you can for him. Now you need to start taking care of yourself by going home and getting some sleep."  
  
"Fine." Raye sighed, getting to her feet and grabbing her coat. She returned to her grandfather's bedside, kissed the top of his head, and said a silent prayer. Shad tried to put a comforting arm around Raye's waist, but she pulled away from him and quickly walked out of the hospital room.  
  
*End Flashback*  
  
Raye flopped on her bed and stared at the tiny cracks running through the spackled ceiling. The events of earlier that evening replayed in her head like a broken record. 'What's wrong with me? Chad was only looking out for me and I just brushed him off.'  
  
She sighed heavily and glanced at the clock on her nightstand. The offensively bright red numbers confirmed her suspicion that is was well after midnight. She slid of her bed and fought to keep her balance. She was exhausted, but sleep would have to wait. She had one more thing to take care of before she could rest. She took one more look at the fatigued figure in the mirror glass and walked out into the living room where Chad was watching TV.  
  
"Chad, I'm really sorry about how I treated you earlier. I'm just under a lot of stress." Raye sighed, leaning against the wooden doorframe.  
  
"That's okay. You've been through a lot."  
  
"No, it's not okay. Ever since you came to the temple to work and train under my grandpa, I've always been mean to you. But, whenever I need you, you were always there for me, no matter what."  
  
"Listen, I was a struggling musician who needed a place to stay and a second chance. I am forever grateful for the kindness you and your grandfather have shown me. Anyways, your nagging doesn't bother me anymore. I've learned to put up with you." Chad teased.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Raye asked, placing her hand on her hips and making a face at Chad. She crossed the room and gave him a hug, quietly whispering "Thank you" into his ear.  
  
"But I still won't forgive you for calling me a nag!" She cried shrilly, releasing him from her embrace and giving Chad a hard shove. A surprised Chad toppled off the sofa and landed with a loud thud on the hardwood floor below. Raye giggled and offered him a hand up. Chad grabbed her wrist and pulled her down on top of him. She landed, their noses were mere inches apart. They stared at one another, a slight blush creeping up onto their cheeks. Chad closed his eyes and brushed his lips against hers in a gentle kiss. When he pulled away, Raye was wide-eyed in shock, like a deer caught in headlights.  
  
"Raye?"  
  
Suddenly, Raye regained her senses, scrambled to her feet, and fled to her room. After quickly getting ready for bed, she slipped under the covers and turned off the lights. She tried to fall asleep, but her mind was racing. '*He* kissed me?,' she brought her fingers to her lips where Chad's kiss still lingered. She felt the blush returning to her cheeks, 'Does that mean that he likes me?'. "He would never like me. He can have any girl he wanted, so why would he want me? I must be dreaming to think that he would ever like me." She said aloud, but suddenly, it sounded a lot less convincing than it did in her head.  
  
  
  
~Is this worth continuing or not?~ 


End file.
